One thing I noticed is that if you want to stay relevant and have high ratings you have to constantly talk about s*x, so I decided to write this post:)
Here comes:
The more right-wing Evangelicals and other traditional churches have done a pretty good job covering s*xual immorality and abortion, which is fine, of course, however, on the other hand, it gives a lot of people an impression that being a Christian is only about not engaging in certain types of s*xual activity. Sort of as long as you live a chaste life you are automatically a good person and will go to Heaven in the end.
Yet, the traditional church teaching listed 7 deadly sins or vices, not only one (that would be lust). Gluttony, for instance, is one of them, and considering the obesity epidemic, is probably something that the churches could talk about more. Yet while they will often warn you against overindulging in alcohol, did you ever hear a sermon about the mortal sin of overindulging in food or luxury items for that matter?
Personally I have often wondered how could one call themselves a Christian and yet be so obsessed with status and pursuing material wealth as (some) modern Christians are? In fact, this status driven consumerist life style is covered by 4 deadly sins at the same time: lust, greed, envy (keeping up with Joneses) and gluttony.
Preachers will often warn you against pride, wrath, and sloth. Yet, here is a funny thing: wrath is too often interpreted nowadays as any form of anger for whatever reasons, as if Christians are supposed forever to be some kind of a Milquetoast, yet our less politically correct ancestors used to distinguish between righteous and unrighteous anger.
To quote Wikipedia (I know, I know:) The neutral act of anger becomes the sin of wrath when it's directed
against an innocent person, when it's unduly unbending or long-lasting,
or when it desires excessive punishment. Kinda like when our tolerant elites crucify teenagers on social media for engaging in goofy behaviour or organise witch-hunts against those whose political ideas they disagree with (mostly working class persons who have no means to defend themselves and are dependent on the good will of their employers).
Sloth is also an interesting topic, isn't it? It's often explained as laziness, and guess who gets accused of laziness? You get it, housewives! Yet, the traditional explanation of sloth is apathy and failure to do your duty. Now if you are a housewife, it's one of your duties to look well to the ways of your household and not to eat the bread of idleness. And yet, some women do exactly that. While they don't hold a job outside the home, they don't bother to do anything in the way of housekeeping, either.
As for apathy, it seems a malady of young people nowadays. While the elderly are often active and cheerful, too many youngsters are constantly bored out of their minds, have no creative hobbies, hardly do any sports and spend their free time glued to their phones. It's tragic, isn't it? Youth should be full of energy, vitality and the desire to explore the wide world out there. Get out into the woods, do things, get enough vitamin D, engage in wider community, there are so many things you could do with your life nowadays! (watching anime isn't one of them).
The next sin on the list is envy and/or jealousy. I once read an article which said that it was only natural to feel jealous of the success of others. I'm sure we all felt envious at times, yet when envy turns malicious, when folks become obsessed with what other people may have, when they are covetous, it can't be good.
Sometimes I think that the accusations of witchcraft were often directed at envious people who experienced joy at the downfall of their neighbours. After all, most of us can feel if someone is jealous of us. Sometimes it turns downright nasty and if, soon after such an encounter something bad happens...Well, it's only natural to think that may be the envious person put a spell on you or something, isn't it?
I'd like to end with a couple of words about pride. Since chastity is considered more or less the only virtue nowadays, chaste women sometimes have a tendency to feel quite Pharisaical about it and look down upon women who have made mistakes in the past (and, btw, chastity is also required of men so players who attack women for s*xual sins aren't any better themselves). Luke 18 comes to mind:
The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And
the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes
unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a
sinner.
14 I
tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the
other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
It's a good reminder to all of us, don't you agree?
I do agree, and thank you for saying so. There are certain sectors of the Internet which view every facet of the Christian life through the lens of sex. Whether chastity and marital hierarchy on the one side, or "the patriarchy's" denying women their "Christian freedom" on the other.
ReplyDeleteIt's ridiculous, and it leaves people ignorant to attend to all of the other things you listed here.
Of course, there's another thing this tells us as well: That the spirit of the world (which also marinates every issue in a sex stew) has infiltrated the minds of those among us who should know better.
Good post. And funny opening line!
Thanks, Elspeth, I'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteI fully agree that our society is marinated in sex (we had a class on making commercials at the uni and they taught us that sex sells) and it's always "in your face", yet herein lies the danger: other sins are being promoted as well and yet we often overlook it since we are so distracted by all the sexual stuff they put out there. I wonder if it's by design?
good article and I'd love to comment, but i'm in bed and rather sleepy. I'll return tomorrow with my thoughts gathered.
ReplyDeleteI do like your, "I wonder if it's by design?" …. hmmmm, I wonder as well.
nite nite
I hope you've had a good night of sleep:)
ReplyDeleteAlright, had a busy few days …
Delete"Gluttony, for instance, is one of them, and considering the obesity epidemic, is probably something that the churches could talk about more. Yet while they will often warn you against overindulging in alcohol, did you ever hear a sermon about the mortal sin of overindulging in food or luxury items for that matter?"
This is the double standard that 'bakes-my-noodle'... EVERY time a church group gathers, there's always food involved! And it's the food of the LOWEST caliber. Sugar and wheat literally promote addictions.
So, it's not only over consumption (gluttony) but it’s over consumption of the wrong food. At the risk of sounding jaded: over-eating still enables you to work and give to the church. Alcohol indulgence (swapping out alcohol for food in the example of obesity) leads to the inability to work, therefore you cannot pay taxes or tithe on your paycheque. Spiritually, the damage is the same, it’s merely the outcome at the moment of infraction that appears different to the observer. So, it seems most churches are now identical to the world: outcome based.
Robyn, that's actually a very keen observation, I've never quite thought about it in this manner. One thing appears strange to me, while everyone is quite literally obsessed with cancer, a disease we can't cure and only have general ideas as to what the reasons behind it are, people tend to be much more relaxed about diabetes type II, a disease which is largely preventable and often treatable by diet alone (and some lifestyle changes) in the early stages, and not less deadly. The disease which can make you blind, make you lose your legs etc etc. And yet people just shrug their shoulders and go on with overindluging...
Deletei know, right. 3 true stories that happened to me this week and last week. 1) as we were leaving the small group and it was just me and this other women, who was new, in the hallway at this particular time: "maybe next week someone will bring some better treats." 2) my ladies bible group, at the beginning of the meeting, "here try these chocolates, Robyn" I said no thanks. But apparently that wasn't clear enough, she slid the box over in front of me at the end of group, and said, "I know you want one." I said, I prefer not to have my insulin spiked right now, i'm going to eat supper in about an hour. But thank you again." 3) small group again, "i know your celiac and can't have the cookies, but there's lots of fruit." I said, thank you, but no, we're still full from supper."
DeleteSHEESH!
people don't understand: all carbs are metabolised as glucose; glucose is the killer! I prefer my brain and body to run on ketones. when you eat protein ... you literally do not want to eat THAT often LOL. (anyway, there's my rant)
Yes, folks will always press you to eat cookies, sweets and other unhealthy stuff and it's the same with alcohol. The moment you decide to quit completely you notice it's pretty much expected from you during social functions.
DeleteI read a column written by a finnish dean. He writes columns in one christian magazine and I like his style. He wrote that according to some, pride is the worst sin, because it is behind every other sin. I did not quite understand that. But it really hit me because pride is by far my worst sin.
ReplyDeleteI must say I think focusing on sex so much is a good thing for one reason: person, especially women, can get so much trouble in so little time if they do stupid decisions with their sex life. All the other since, they take time to ruin your life. But reckless sexual behaviour can ruin your life in seconds,quite literally, if you get HIV or get unwanted baby or raped or something. And it is usually young people who's lifes are ruined. That is why it is so important, not because it is bigger sin. With other sins, you kind of have more time to improve yourself.
It's certainly true what you are saying about reckless sexual behaviour ruining a person's life. But so does alcoholism or diabetes type II if you know what I mean. Wrath can lead to unchecked aggression, abuse and even murder, lust for luxury items can plunge you into debt etc etc. Those who rebelled against traditional rules probably didn't realise that they were necessary to protect the society and the people themselves from the consequences of bad choices. Yet those who encouraged them to rebel probably did.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the church has become focused particularly on sexual sin because the world has emphasized sexual immorality and deviance as the battleground of politics from the mid-20th-century onwards; everything in society has flowed from the end of no-fault divorce and the availability of easy birth control and abortion access, not to mention independent female earning power from working outside the home. Those have warped politics, and given rise to gay rights and transgenderism as side effects, too. The church has responded partly correctly in re-emphasizing traditional sexual morality but has not emphasized no divorce, traditional sexual roles, pride being a sin, etc., which it ought to also have done. Pride is indeed at the root of most other sins, and pride is what our society suffers from an excess of today, especially...
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. It just appears to me that sexual sins are a part and parcel of our hedonistic, nihilistic, materialistic culture. While the churches will often condemn the former, they also tacitly support the latter, by refusing to address the underlying issues, "keeping up with Joneses" and lust after luxury items being some of them (and here come the things you named like female earning power etc).
ReplyDeleteThat is to say, the whole system needs a reboot, not just a part of it.
ReplyDelete